yes I know another bf supplyl query , need advice

[melsy]

Normally get 4oz or so off really quickly expressing with manual Avent isis in between feeds in the morning and have done so over weekend with no problems , dd2 also feeds and seems satisfied within 20min. Today has been a differnt story arrghhhh , its taken 3 expressing sessions of half hr each, 2 of which I did whislt bf and Ive only got 4oz to show fr it .

Also dd2 has been feeding for over an hour each time today . Could it be due to missing bf's Wed & Tursday night last week, as Id expressed enough for someone else to feed her from a bottle so I could sleep during the night?It seems to many days ago to affect supply today, as the only feed I missed since Thursday night was the normal 11pm feed which dh has done since wk3.

Although over the weekend I was engorged and leaking everwere at night , so may be I was expressing missed feeds rather than expressing extra & thats why it was easier IFYKWIM !!!???

Or is it that what Ive experienced today is totally normal ,as if Bf had calmed down, I shudnt be overproducing, so it could be right that I only express a little at a time????

I vaguely remember something like that on kellymom, but I cant remember were I read it.

How old is dd2?

How much you can express is not a reliable guide to actual supply. if dd is feeding more, however, it could be a sign that she is trying to up supply (which will work, too, within a couple of days).

nrly 7 weeks fit, hmm , yes think the extra feeding may coincide with growth spurt, as dh said shes been taking 4oz of ebm , wereas last week she was happy with 2-3oz.

ahhh so if u cant express that much , it bares no relation to how much dd2 is getting. OK thats a relief , just seemed a coincidence.

It did seem like she was feeding continuously today , left me feeling really drained, Im getting nausia too wiht feeding so finding it hard to eat much, all a bit of a yuck cycle really & then what with the EBM problem also. had me in tears this afternoon, couldnt spend an time with dd1 .

Its so frustrating trying to express when it wont come off very easily, as I know in my head that I need more now for her bottle feeds, typical its coincided.

I was always a bit of a crap expresser, but managed to bf ds exclusively from 4 weeks (mixed feeding before that, bad advice etc etc) to 6 1/2 months. My 'leaking' patterns also never seemed to fit to any particular events.

Any chance of ditching the expressing/bottles for a bit, partly to up supply and partly to take that particular stress off you (I know it too well, feeding for hours then expressing, gah) or is that out of the question?

Thing is , its lesser of 2 evils I suppose (for want of a better phrase) , as it means I can go to bed now and dh stays up and does 11:30 bottle, as Ill be up at 3-4am till nr 5am feeding during the night. Then she likes a feed again at 6:30. I cant handle doing it all every night, it seems to knock me out. Knocks me out anyway , but I think id be headcase otherwise. Hoping my supply will up if I give her lengthy feeds at other times. How d u fair doing all feeds ? I dont know how some mums do it , stealy nerves / constitutions!!

It did my head in , I so remember the exhaustion of those early weeks - and I only have one so far. No chance of catching up with sleep in the day, I suppose?

You are likely to express less if tired, it's self-perpetuating.
I'm a veteran of 3 kids, all 3 b/f and topped up with a late bottle of expressed milk from 6 weeks, when they started sleeping through.
I also found that supply in the first weeks is very variable, which I gather is what they mean by establishing feeding.
An hour sounds very long to feed (although DD1 was like that, DD3 is a 10 min sprint champion) Perhaps if your supply is low, she's feeding longer to get the same.
keep up the good work, it's all worth it.

thanx madchad , I thought the same with the hour feed time; that shes getting the same its just coming slower, poor babes , she must be getting knackered to.

I know not really about bf but sleeping through madchad ?? from 7-7 , with no feeds or a dream feed then sleeping through??

Fit I can rest a bit between school pick runs , but its normally time for my lunch / errands/ feed time/ housework/ and then back again in the car !!! NO chance of sleep really , unless may be I put all of us in my bed after nursury school & put cbeebs on.

melsy - I'm doing the same as you.

I feed dd on demand during the day (she's 6 weeks thursday) then go to bed 10ish. Dh feeds her 10.30pm ish from a bottle, and then I'm rested for when she wakes during the night.

I tried to express regularly at various times but I got really stressed when I had 1oz to show for about 2 hours combined work.

What I do now is feed from one side last feeds I give her in the evening (I will offer the other side if she starts fretting but try not to) then that same side again in the middle of the night (like you it's anytime between 2 and 5ish). Then when I wake up the other side is pretty full so I express that side and it seems whatever I get is whatever she takes at night. She has been takeing 2/3oz which was all I was getting but now I'm getting 5oz - which is what she's taking!!!!! I feel a bit ripped off - essentially she's missing three feeds off that side and I@m only getting the milk of one lol

I was trying to get up a supply of ebm in the freezer but I guess that would mean picking another time of the day and building that up too. Argh.

Forgot to add until recently it's been taking her an hour to feed. Now most feeds are around 20min (esp the night one, it's 15 - 20 min and she's asleep. I then change her bum and if she wakes offer more but generally she's zonked)

I wonder if she had to settle into this routine for her feeding to calm down? ALthough by no means is it a routine.

Sometimes I'm still feeding her at 10pm ish - she'll be howling for food. However I do reap the benefit - dh will then still offer her the bottle at 10.30pm (might take her longer to take though) and then she'll be asleep longer (maybe 5/6am) so even though I'm stressed at the fact I've probably been constantly feeding her from 4pm - 10pm chances are I'll still get a nice block of sleep.

The early morning expressing is a bit of effort though. I've been getting up around 6.30 every morning. If she wakes and demands food before I can be bothered expressing I offer the side I won't be expressing on - although after I've expressed if I offer her that side she still seems able to get a good feed out ofit.

I know its all such a faff, and dont even get me started on how I build supply for the freezer!!!! seems universal thing , so its probably normal.

I think I get waht your saying , basically your able to express a good amount ,cos that boob just thinks its missed several feeds????

Ive only given her from my right side since early this morn , so by all itents and purpose I should be able to express a good lot from the left when I do it in a min!

Give it a go - I find if I leave it this late it all goes to pot though - even though she hasn't fed this side I still can't get as much. Maybe it all sinks back in

That's just me though. I also can only express from right hand side (left simply won't do it!!!)

I'm going to pick a time (say 2pm) and try and collect milk from that express time to freeze. I was trying evenings but she cluster feeds and the 10 minutes I get to myself when she isnt feeding are too precious to spend expressing.

arrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh , now Ive realised I left a bit out of the sterilizer for the pump, damn bother BUM. Kettle boiled water trick now, hope thats enough.

lol at it all going back in !!!!

someone mentioned an expressing club thread , cant find it???